Flaming Roses
by RoseyWaters
Summary: Scarlet moved to Japan from Maine at 16 in the hopes of starting a new life, What she hadn't planned on meeting a man who burned as hot as his flames. She also didn't count on her past catching up to her, With the help of spitfire she starts uncovering a long forgotten past with secrets that arn't only a danger to her, but rest of the world of ATs. Sucky summary.
1. Scarlet Eyes

**Authors Note: First I Do not own Air gear it belongs to the writers, illustrators producers etc. This is purely fan made and I do not profit from it. **

**Dedicated to my big brother Meadow, Thank you for being a good brother and encouraging me to write and follow my dreams. Also to Vanessa who has brought life back into your eyes.**

**Now enough of the sentimental crap. Onward! **

**Ps: Song for this chapter is Alicia Keys , Girl on fire. **

**Sorry this is short, next chapter will be longer. I just didn't know how to begin. I'm sorry if it sucked, It gets better I promise. Just figuring out how to start it was hard.**

* * *

Scarlet was sat at her kitchen table near the window of her apartment, staring up at the sky, which was becoming orange and pink as the sun started to set. Her red eyes half lidded with boredom. Her flaming red hair was tied into a messy bun, today she wore a loose tank and short shorts. The sweltering sun did nothing to improve her already irritable mood.

It had been two months since she had moved from Maine to Japan. Two long months of struggling to get to know an entirely new culture and language, getting settled in a tiny apartment, and starting school; which she hated more than anything.

For wanting to start her life over, she certainly chose the most stressful way to do it, or that's what she thought until one month ago when she first met Spitfire. Her life certainly was on the way of becoming a hell of a lot more interesting. Well it would if she could just get the courage to talk to him.

She twirled the pencil in her hand as she stared up at the sky. She moved one leg up onto the chair, resting her head against her knee. Her other leg kicked back and forth. _Has it really been just a month ? _She thought to herself, starting to remember the first time she met Spitfire

* * *

"_Damn it! Why did I have to come this way.." She thought bitterly, running from a group of a nearby gang, she had unknowingly crossed into their territory in an attempt to find a shortcut home. She didn't want to think of what they'd do to her if they caught up. _

"_Hey bitch! Get back here!" One of the thugs shouted from behind her. He was bald and rather tall with a purple skull tattoo on his forehead. He kind of looked like one of those bowling balls. _

"_Not in a million years!" She shouted back, kicking a trashcan behind her in an attempt to slow them down, this she found didn't work. Instead of slowing them down she stopped in surprise as the skates they were wearing excelled and they jumped into the sky and then down in front of her. She had never seen blades like the ones they were using. _

"_Your coming with us!" The leader said, making a move towards her. _

"_Oh great" She thought. "What were those defense lessons again? Ugh the classes never covered this.." _

"_Don't you fucking shit-heads know its not nice to pick on a bitch?" _

"_Huh?" Scarlet looked up surprised. On the building roof just above them was a boy with dark blue hair, a cat like right eye and a patch over the left. He wore a uniform with an emblem she wasn't familiar with. He sent a shiver down her spine when their eyes locked he smirked. _

"_Little girls like you should learn to stay inside. Cats bite bitch." Before Scarlet could open her mouth to argue with him he had wrapped hooks around one of the riders and slammed him against the other, the hooks on the end of the strings on his legs cutting up into them as he went from one to the other faster than she could blink. _

_With a groan the riders fell unconscious and the male turned toward her. "You should run home, the night isn't safe for mice." He took off into the sky. _

_Scarlet's eyes darkened. He had some nerve. Her mind made up she started to run after him. Stepping on the leaders stomach as she made her way over them. _

_Why she followed him she couldn't help but feel envious as he traveled over the rooftops seeming like he hadn't had a care of the world. Why she was stuck on the ground scurrying after him like a mouse, she'd kill him for that. She ran after him for twenty minutes before he finally landed in a square with a fountain in the center, where there were hundreds of riders like the ones chasing her. _

_She gulped and followed him into the square, avoiding eye contact she kept her head down as she maneuvered the riders, her scarlet red eyes open for just one. She found her target with a group nearest to the fountain all wearing the same uniform as he was, they must be a team. Taking a deep breath she marched right over to them. _

"_Hey! Ass-hole!"_

_The male with the eye patch turned to stare at her, smirking he tilted his head. "Well if it isn't the stupid mouse." _

_Scarlet's eyes narrowed and became a darker shade of red with anger, She marched right up to him, and before he could react, slapped him hard across the cheek, causing everyone near them to gasp and take several steps back. _

"_I'm not a mouse. You assume to much. I'm grateful that you helped out back there but, that does not mean that I'm weak or ti-" she got cut off as he took hold of her tongue, faster than she could register it. _

"_You talk to much." _

"_Agito, let her go." A cool voice with a cockney accent spoke up. Scarlet turned to see who was speaking when the male she supposed name was Agito let go of her tongue. _

_The guy speaking was tall and had red hair like hers and even eerily similar eyes. She had never seen anyone with red eyes other than herself before, it was a rare color, caused by blood bleeding into the iris. _

"_Fine, the bitch isn't worth my fucking time anyway." He cursed and went back to his group of friends. _

"_Are you alright?" He asked, making his way over to her. He had a very calming demeanor and caused her own body to relax a bit, sensing he wasn't a threat. _

"_I-I'm fine.." _

"_My name is Spitfire. You've got guts to provoke the Fang King." _

"_Spitfire…nice name. I just don't take well to being called a mouse. Since you gave me your name, its only polite I give you mine… My name is Scarlet. Scarlet Moonflower. _

_Spitfire took her hand and kissed the top part of it. "Pleasure to meet you Ms. Moonflower" _

_She felt her cheeks flame up in a deep blush. She shook her. "no.. pleasures mine. So tell me…what is it you all are riding on anyway? I've never seen blades like these…_

* * *

That was just the first of many meetings between her and Spitfire. He was supposed to be coming over that evening, but she didn't know why, the last time they had one of their "meetings" (If you call randomly bumping into each other quite a lot meetings.) He had asked to see her at her place around sunset. How he knew where she lived was beyond her, and what he wanted was even more of a mystery.

She stared down at her homework now, deciding she couldn't concentrate she went to put her books away when there was a knock against the class of her apartment window.

Gasping she saw spitfire crouched on the railing of the fire escape waiting to be let in. she unlatched the door to let him in, the first words out of his mouth weren't of explanation however.

"You can't stay here your in danger" He looked over his shoulder before looking back at her. "Gather just the basics."

She wasn't wrong about her life becoming drastically more interesting.


	2. Familiarity and Reality

**Authors note: I do not own Air gear, this is purely fan made. Sorry it took so long to get chapter two up I'm one of the slowest typers. And again sorry its so short, but, each chapter keeps getting longer and longer. Soon they will be decent lengths **

**Song: If I burn, by Emilie Autumn**

* * *

That first meeting she learned about Air Treks, how she never heard of them was beyond her. She felt like she had, had her head buried in the sand or something. Especially when she asked if there were groups in America and he confirmed it.

She had watched and did much research on them since then. But, she never tried them for herself, she was absolutely terrified of heights and the very idea of putting them on her feet gave her the chills, she would rather be an observer. She would stick to her usual blades.

Scarlet started to pack her swiss army backpack, something she had used many times in the past and packed a couple days clothing, her toiletry bag , and a first aid kit, complete with needle, thread, bandages and anything that she may need, from sunscreen to a bottle of alcohol. She was very paranoid when it came to emergency supplies.

Spitfire was pacing the rooms of the apartment, glancing at the doors and windows often why also looking at the paintings she had made. They were usually of scenery she had seen , or moments of time she wanted to preserve, like the painting she made of a couple having their first kiss. They were just images she got in her head after seeing them and couldn't get out until her brush hit the canvas.

As she went about the house getting only the necessities her mind wandered to the other times she had met Spitfire.

* * *

_The second time she met spitfire, was on Friday night two days later, after school. She had gotten detention for being late to three of her classes that day, as well as not following the strict dress code. She chose that day to were cargo pants and a shirt that barely past her navel, it was white with paint splashes she had made herself. _

_As she walked down the halls she dug into her cargo pants and grabbed one of her hair ties. She pulled her long red hair back and started to put it in a pony tail, leaving her long bangs loose._

_Instead of going home to an empty apartment, she headed down to the arcade, wanting to get away from her thoughts for a while, which kept going to a certain red head she met the other day. _

_On her way there she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran right into someone's back. Surprised she fell backwards onto her butt._

"_Hey watch where your going!" She looked up to see who she bumped into. _

_It was a guy, taller than her by at least a foot, He had layered lilac colored hair and wore dark clothing so his skin wasn't seen, including gloves. His eyes were a dark blue that looked familiar too her. _

_The guy stared at her for a full minute in surprise, before he regained his senses and helped her up. _

"_Scar? Is that you?" _

"_Who are you?" Scarlet squirmed uncomfortably and backed up from him. She didn't know who this guy was, but she didn't know him and only her (Non existent ) friends could call her Scar. _

"_I'm sorry.." He tilted his head looking down at her. "You look like someone I used to know. Forgive me." _

"_Nue, what's keeping you?" A familiar voice asked. Spitfire appeared beside his friend before catching sight of her. He gave her a half smile. _

"_Hello again Ms. Moonflower." _

"_Hello.." She suddenly felt very shy. "I-I um...I bumped into your friend here.. I-I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." _

"_That's fine, but I really do need him. Nue.. We are running late." _

"_But, Spitfire…she…" _

"_I know, but we must go now. We will discuss this later Nue." He then moved his attention back to her. " See you around Night flower." He turned on his heel and walked to the nearest alley. _

_Nue gave her one last look over, an unreadable expression crossing his face before he too turned and followed Spitfire down the alley. _

_Scarlet's cheeks had gone as red as her hair from Spitfires play on her last name. She waited for them to get slightly ahead of her before following them as stealthily as se could through the street venders and people. When she got to the alley she was surprised to see that they weren't there, instead there were fading flames and electricity in the air that caused her hair to stand up from static. _

"_What is it with these storm riders and always disappearing?! Or hard to follow.?" She cursed and went to the arcade , her original destination (before Nue so rudely interrupted. By being in her way.) needing to focus on something else for a while. But no matter what she did her mind kept wandering over to Nue and Spitfire, the way they had acted around her seemed, odd; and Nue acted like he actually knew her. Even though she knew for a fact that she didn't know him. Who did he think he was calling her Scar? _

_And then there was that conversation that was going on between them, she had a feeling it was about her, and it wasn't because she was being self-centered either. She was so mad, that she broke the machine, so badly that they declared that she beat Bando Mitsuru, whoever that was, record. _

_And the each meeting kept getting stranger and stranger…_

* * *

Once she was packed she swung her bag over her shoulder, she was so used to needing to leave at a moments notice that it took under three minutes for her to gather everything she needed in her small bag.

Spitfire smiled a bit to her, though he kept looking around him like he was ready for an attack at any moment. He went to the fire escape window and got on the Rail, he turned and held out his hand to her.

"Come on. I'll explain everything later, but we have got to move!"

Scarlet hesitated a moment before taking the hand spitfire offered. He pulled her closer and started his At's jumping from building to building leaving a trail of flames behind before gliding through the air, when they were joined by two others. Nue, and A guy she knew to be Agitos friend and team leader Ikki.

Scarlet screamed once they were in the air and clung so tightly to Spitfire that he would have a hard time breathing. She _really _didn't like heights.

'Any sign of Sora?" Spitfire asked the other two who were riding on either side of him.

"Not one," Nue said first.

"Not yet." Ikki yawned, "Sheesh your more trouble than your worth woman."

Scarlet glared at Ikki. "W-when we land. Y-you are S-so dead Ikki!" She whimpered against spitfires shoulder and held him tighter. "P-please put me down. I don't like heights!"

"Don't look now but we have company." Nue said boredly.

"Right, Ikki and I will distract him, you take Scarlet you know where."

"W-what?" She paled "Your not passing me to him in mid air are you?!"

Spitfire just smirked and handed her over to Nue, who wrapped his arms securely around her, and veered sharply to the right. Scarlet braved a peek over her shoulder, Seeing a wall of flames that increased in height from the air and wind Ikki was feeding it. They were heading off/distracting a group of riders, two male and one female. All of them had the strangest eyes. Crosses with a dotted X through them.

She had seen those eyes once before, in a nightmare. A nightmare that had been recurring for the last twelve years. A nightmare that was suddenly as real as the very air she breathed.


	3. Painting memories

**Authors note: I do not own Air gear. Also I had such a hard time getting this chapter up. I hope this is an alright chapter, I hate filler chapters, they are the hardest to write! **

**Song: **_**Fleurs Du Mal by Sarah bright man**_

* * *

_Scarlet sat in the middle of her small apartment, A white sheet with paint stains under the stool she sat on, and the easel that held the newest painting she was working on. Two other paintings sat drying on the cloth near her and her easel. Her right hand making sharp but fluid strokes, following the map in her head and making it visual._

_Her body relaxed, her mind going blank as she focused on her work, half of the time not even aware of what she was doing, which was a relief. Her mind had been overcome with thoughts and questions since she saw Nue and Spitfire last night. Did she know them? She didn't know…Nue's eyes though were familiar to her, but she always remembered eyes more than any other part of a human. Eyes never lied. _

_Eyes also terrified her. _

_She stopped painting abruptly, the image in her head gone, she opened her eyes (That she hadn't even realized she had closed she was so focused on the memory.) She then looked at the clock which read four am , she had started at midnight after yet another nightmare. The only difference this time, was she now remembered something other than those horrible eyes, that had crosses with dotted x's through them, She wanted to get it on paper before she forgot. _

_The painting was actually three different ones, which she put on the cloth in order. The first one was the most detailed. It was of a round room with large floor to ceiling tube like structures with bluish-clear liquid. That went around the room wall in a half circle, there were a dozen or so of them. And one larger one in the center that also went from floor to ceiling, only the glass of this tube was shattered, the shards and liquid littering the floor. _

_Near the tube was a silver trey and medical equipment was scattered around the center area, there was also a pool of blood leading away from it. She shivered as she looked it over, out of all of them. This image scared her the most. She rubbed her arm where she could have sworn she felt needles in just hours before. She then lifted her shirt checking for any wounds again she swore she felt the pain of something in her dreams. She cursed having lucid dreams. _

_The second painting again was of a room, this time an entrance peeking up to the floors above, there were to many to count. Though it wasn't in the picture looking at it Scarlet could remember definitely smelling volcanic smoke and ash from somewhere nearby. _

_The third one was of just a person, with white medium length hair and those eyes tat scared the crap out of her, only she didn't feel afraid of this one. He also wore a cloak and she couldn't remember anything else from this part of the dream so she had the background shaded and blurred in places she thought there were people but she couldn't remember any other faces from the dream. His came out the clearest. _

_With a sigh she fell back on her back and looked at the ceiling, her fingers of her right hand playing with her hair. _

Was it just a dream? Are these just nightmares? Or something more? The pain is to real for this to be normal…So frustrating! _She growled from her thoughts and got up off the floor and went to get herself a cup of caffeinated tea. She would be up for the rest of the day. _

_After her tea was made she put it in her favorite tall black mug with a single red rose on it, and took it to her computer desk. Turning on the computer she sat down on her chair and sipped at her tea why waiting for her computer to start up after she turned it on. _

_Once everything was loaded she started to search for Nue and Spitfire. Only to find there was no information at all on either of them, it was like they didn't exist. _

That's strange…what is it they have to hide?

_She sipped at her tea getting more and more frustrated by the minute from the lack of information. Giving up she decided to do some more research on Air Treks. _

_Scarlet stirred her tea boredly with a spoon as she read up information, she traveled from site to site until she found one on parts wars, Scarlet clinked on the link and a live feed started to play. She recognized the ass-hole that called her a mouse, Agito or whatever his name was, and four other guys fighting an A class battle against some stupid looking team with deer head helmets. _

_But, it was what she saw behind them that made her get up and leave the house in just her pajamas. She had seen Nue and Spitfire in the background, since she couldn't find information on them. She would just have to confront them in person. _

_When she got there she went to where everyone was sitting or standing watching the battle, which she didn't even pay the slightest bit of attention too. _

_Scarlet moved to stand on Spitfires left, Nue was on his right. _

"_Hello…fancy meeting you here. I have some questions and I want them to be answered please. Who are you guys? How do we know each other? What is going on? Why did you look at me like you were seeing a ghost last night Nue and how did you know my name? _

"_Who we are is of little importance right now" Was all Spitfire said, ignoring the rest of what she was asking, which was really getting on her nerves. _

"_What is the earliest thing you can remember Scar?" Nue asked, ignoring her questions and making her snap out of her thoughts of strangulation of the two of them. _

"_My earliest memory? That's a strange question. I don't know why it would matter but, the earliest thing I can remember is rain…and an old white church that was falling into disrepair. I also remember being held by someone. However I don't know and never could remember who was carrying me." _

_Nue smiled. "Remember the church…and you will remember me." He started his AT's keeping still so smoke and electricity formed around his feet. Nue gave Scarlet one last look before he took off into the sky with others who were leaving now that the battle she wasn't paying attention to was over. _

"_Everything will make sense in due time Nightflower." Spitfire whispered into her ear before he too took off. Leaving her even more annoyed and confused than she had been before she had made the stupid impulse to see them. In her Pajamas. _

"_Well that was a waste of time" Scarlet thought angrily. _"_I have more questions than answers.." Her thoughts wandered to what Nue had said and started to think back on the church. There had to be something else to remember that she just couldn't remember but what could that be?_

* * *

Scarlet clung to the front of Nue's shirt Whimpering as they traveled through the air. Her red hair whipping around her face. She could no longer see the others fighting and was beginning to wonder where he was taking her.

Scarlet had her eye shut tight so when they stopped moving suddenly she open them just enough to squint to see why they had stopped all of a sudden.

The stop she found was caused because Nue had found his way blocked. In front of them was a man in his early twenties with brown eyes and shoulder length, wind blown, shaggy brown hair. He wore a loose fitting red shirt with a skull and cross bones on it and blue jeans. He was in an defensive stance, but his posture showed he was willing to go on the offensive.

"Nue, who is he?" Scarlet whispered

Nue glanced down at Scarlet. "That is who we are trying to get you away from. His name is…"

Sora Takeuchi


End file.
